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President House illuminated in pink to support breast cancer awareness

ISLAMABAD: The President House was illuminated pink on Tuesday in commemoration of the ongoing Pinktober breast cancer awareness drive and to acknowledge Pink Ribbon Pakistan’s efforts in raising awareness and working to provide advocacy and healthcare services to the patients and potential victims.

The event was a collaboration of President House administration and Pink Ribbon Pakistan with special interest of President Dr Arif Alvi. At the occasion, the president and other administration also expressed their views over this extremely critical health issue of Pakistani women and applauded Pink Ribbon’s campaigning of over one and a half decade.

By turning pink for this lifesaving cause, which is concerning more than 10.2 million Pakistani women with high risk of breast cancer, the President House showed complete support to Pink Ribbon and pledged to help the organisation eradicate this fatal disease and reduce the resulting female mortality.

Talking to the media at the illumination event, Dr Arif Alvi’s wife Samina Alvi said, “The pink illumination of the President House is a part of Pink Ribbon’s national breast cancer awareness drive and we vow to extend full aid to the organisation in their struggle to educate the society on this important issue and provide healthcare facilities to the sufferers.”

Pink Ribbon Chief Executive Officer Omer Aftab said, “It is indeed an honour for us to illuminate the President House for such a noble cause. Thousands of precious lives are lost every year due to ignorance, late diagnosis and myths related to breast cancer. Despite the fact that out of all the type of cancers, breast cancer is the only one that can be cured successfully if diagnosed at an early stage, whereas it is so unfortunate that this cancer alone claims 40,000 lives every year,” Pink Ribbon CEO Omer Aftab said.

Aftab said that with the support of higher authorities like President House, the organisation is committed to not only spread its outreach in the society but also build a chain of breast cancer hospitals across the country and the first one is already underway in Lahore.

Aftab especially thanked Dr Arif for his permission and special interest in the event and he vowed to spread the wings of his forum to reach out to a maximum number of women in Pakistan and sensitise them to adopt preventive methods like breast self-examination and breast screening.

The Pink Ribbon Hospital, the first of its kind in Pakistan, is near completion and as per the organisation’s spokesperson, state-of-the-art medical facility will be partially operational by July 2019. This will serve more than 40,000 patients annually.

October is celebrated as breast cancer awareness month globally and Pink Ribbon observes it in Pakistan as Pinktober. The theme of this year’s campaign is #SaveThe9th which hinges around the concept of sensitising the society to support Pink Ribbon’s cause of building Pakistan’s first dedicated breast cancer hospital to save every ninth woman who is at high risk of breast cancer.

Every year, 90,000 new cases of breast cancer are reported in Pakistan. A majority of the cases are not recorded due to the sufferers’ hesitation and social pressure. Moreover, lack of healthcare facilities make the situation worse.

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A woman builds a family and families build a nation. When a woman falls into despair and dejection, it hampers the wellbeing of a family and if this starts happening at mass level, a society’s development is halted. This is happening to us as 40,000 women die of Breast Cancer every year in Pakistan. This is the time to save all these women because every woman matters.

Unfortunately, we have a paucity of quality healthcare facilities for Breast Cancer patients despite the deep penetration of this disease in our society. Pink Ribbon has taken a historic step in this direction and is building Pakistan’s First Dedicated Breast Cancer Hospital. Support us with your generous donations in completing the hospital.

10.2 million Pakistani women are vulnerable to Breast Cancer but this is not clear whose risk is higher and who can be spared. Thus, it puts every single woman at the cannon’s mouth. As a nation, this is our prime responsibility to play our part in eradicating this killer disease and reduce the female mortality. Join hands with Pink Ribbon and let us make it possible.

It is our moral responsibility to contribute for the welfare and wellbeing of the society we live in. The diseases like Breast Cancer are major detriments for the development of Pakistan and there is a need of a panacea. No one else but we can be the change agents and the saviors to lift our women up from the ashes of misery and pain by making donations to the great cause of Pink Ribbon.

Breast Cancer claims the lives of 40,000 Pakistani women each year. This is largely due to the lack of awareness and healthcare facilities. A majority of victims are diagnosed late and then they have no or limited access to proper treatment. Pink Ribbon is working hard to not only inculcate the awareness of this disease but also build a dedicated hospital to cure it. Help us making this dream true.

The bomb of Breast Cancer is ticking and it can explode anywhere anytime and the victims are destined to go through a hell of pain and sufferings. This bomb can only be disposed of with early detection and adequate treatment of the disease and this is possible when we have in place up to the mark awareness and healthcare facilities. Pink Ribbon is the bomb disposal squad, capacitate them to continue their hunt.

Breast Cancer is a serial killer that is at loose. It can prey on any woman anytime regardless of age, status and ethnicity. It may take on you while you are resting in your cozy homes or working at your dream offices. Pink Ribbon is striving to stop and catch the killer and save every 9th Pakistani woman who is at high risk of Breast Cancer. Let us save our flowers together.

While you are enjoying your lunch at your cozy place, 5 women lose the battle of Breast Cancer in Pakistan. This is the number of women who die every hour due to this fatal disease. This is not stopping anytime unless we put our blood and sweat together in this fight. Pink Ribbon has taken up the cause to eradicate this disease once for all. Back us in this crusade and we will win the battle together.